“Venkatesh Iyer or Rachin Ravindra might be good fits at No. 3” - Former India cricketer’s huge claim ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Former Indian opener Kris Srikkanth believes one of Venkatesh Iyer or Rachin Ravindra could be an excellent fit for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the crucial No.3 position next season. RR traded their skipper, Sanju Samson, to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to bolster their all-rounders department with Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.

With Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi set to open, followed by a solid middle-order, RR have only the No.3 hole to fill in the batting department in the IPL 2026 auction. Iyer was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), while Ravindra got let go by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the auction.

Talking about RR's strategy on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said (57:37):

"Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been extraordinary since scoring that hundred against GT. He should actually be in the 15 for the T20 World Cup; he's playing at that level. Venkatesh Iyer or Rachin Ravindra might be good fits for them at No. 3."

Srikkanth also urged RR to go for Rahul Chahar or Michael Bracewell as the second spin-bowling option to Ravindra Jadeja.

"Between Ravi Bishnoi and Rahul Chahar, I'll go for Chahar. He's a brilliant leg-spinner. I won't go for Bishnoi, but maybe RR will go for him. Michael Bracewell will be an ideal fit for them, too. He'll be a good secondary spinner to Jadeja and fit in perfectly at No. 8," he stated.

RR had a forgettable IPL 2025 campaign, finishing second from the bottom with only four wins in 14 matches.

"In that spot, they can go for Rahul Chahar" - Kris Srikkanth on LSG's auction plans

Kris Srikkanth advised the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to go after Rahul Chahar in the IPL 2026 auction to replace fellow leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who they released in the off-season. The former captain also called on the franchise not to play Nicholas Pooran at no lower than No.3 in the batting order.

Srikkanth also listed a few overseas pacers that LSG could go for in the auction.

"Nicholas Pooran has to bat at No. 3. He can't bat at 5. So even if they go for Venkatesh Iyer, he has to bat at 4 with Rishabh Pant at 5. They left Ravi Bishnoi, so in that spot, they can go for Rahul Chahar. Fast bowlers, they can go for Duffy or Nortje. They can try Matt Henry also. Ngidi is another one that they and almost all teams can go for. He's a much-improved bowler now," he said (via the aforementioned source).

LSG missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season in 2025 and will enter the 2026 auction with a purse of ₹22.95 crore.